Sen. Rand Paul isn’t happy with Trump’s picks of Pompeo for the CIA and Haspel for State…

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said on Wednesday he would oppose President Trump‘s nominations of CIA Director Mike Pompeo to be secretary of State and CIA Deputy Director Gina Haspel to lead the spy agency.

Paul said that he will oppose the nominations and “do everything I can to block” them.

“My announcement today is that I will oppose both Pompeo’s nomination and Haspel’s nomination,” Paul said.

Paul is the first Republican to come out against the two nominations, which were announced by Trump on Tuesday. Last year, he was the only Republican to vote against Pompeo for CIA director.

The senator pointed to his previous statement that Pompeo doesn’t believe “enhanced interrogation techniques” to be torture, as well as his support for the Iraq War, in explaining his opposition.

“I’m perplexed by the nomination of people who love the Iraq War so much that they would advocate for a war with Iran next. I think it goes against most of the things President Trump campaigned on,” he said.

Paul said he is opposing Haspel due to her involvement in the enhanced interrogation program during the George W. Bush administration. He said she showed “joyful glee at someone who is being tortured.”

“I find it just amazing that anyone would consider having this woman at the head of the CIA,” Paul said…..

The White House circled the wagons Wednesday around CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s nomination to become secretary of State, arguing vulnerable red-state Democrats will feel “consequences” in November if they vote against him.

The Trump administration dispatched Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas to argue Pompeo is highly qualified for the top State Department position and to press Democrats running for re-election in states won by President Donald Trump to vote in favor of his nomination…..